Carriers for use with helicopters are commonly used for moving cargo loads in remote areas. At their most basic, such devices comprise a cable suspended from a helicopter, with a grapple hook at the end of the cable for engagement with a cargo load. This arrangement requires a ground crew to attach the hook to the cargo load as the helicopter waits. This can be a hazardous and manpower-intensive job. Also, this arrangement is not capable of carrying multiple loads, since the multiple cable lines could tangle. It is desirable to provide a means to pick up multiple loads of cargo without ground assistance at the time of pickup. This permits a number of loads to be prepared on the ground in advance, over a period of time, with the loads all being picked up at one pass by a helicopter.
Various solutions have been proposed to permit pickup without the use of a ground crew. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,523,746 (Chapman) proposes a coupling device that attaches to the end of the hoist cable, which mates with a corresponding coupling device attached to the cargo load. The coupling device on the load extends generally vertically upwardly, and permits a skillful helicopter pilot to engage the load by simply lowering the helicopter directly over the cargo package until the two coupling means engage. This arrangement requires a skillful pilot, and does not permit the carrying of multiple loads.
For this application, it is important that the coupling means be relatively simple to engage, to permit a pilot of average skill to engage a load from the air. This need may be met by having the coupling means extend generally upwardly above a pylon so that it is easily accessible to the helicopter pilot.
A means for achieving the requirements identified above is to provide a system with a detachable load coupling arrangement with a coupling means that detachably engages a carrier suspended from a helicopter. There may be further included a shroud or sack for wrapping the load for further protection.
The carrier that comprises the subject of this invention is specifically intended for use with a helicopter, but may be readily adapted for use with any other type of hovering aircraft such as a powered blimp, balloon or dirigible.